Horseshoes and Other Lucky Things
by EMP
Summary: Kate stops by CJ's office late one evening. Girlslash.


AUTHOR: EMP  
TITLE: Horseshoes and Other Lucky Things   
CHARACTER: CJ Cregg, Kate Harper   
CATEGORY: Humor, Romance   
PAIRING: CJ/Kate   
RATING: R  
SUMMARY: Kate stops by CJ's office late one evening. Girlslash.   
  
It was late, well past midnight, the night that she happened by CJ's office. Kate Harper had been in tense meetings in the Sit Room and the Oval Office all day, meetings that, as the hours passed, had wicked every ounce of energy from her and left her completely and utterly drained by day's end. What little makeup she had applied that morning had long since disappeared into her skin, and she felt pale and tired, and her shoulder muscles ached. All she wanted at that point was to go home, soak in a warm, lavender-scented bath, and crawl into bed.  
  
She strode with purpose through the communications bullpen in the hope that she wouldn't run into any roadblocks on the way out—until, that is, she saw the light on in CJ's office and felt her pulse quicken. Pausing momentarily to deliberate, she decided to unfasten her barrette and to fluff out her blonde hair with both hands. Given the day, she knew that sexy wasn't an option, but she hoped the softer hairstyle would mitigate the severity of her dark suit and would approximate something close to charmingly disheveled.  
  
The view as Kate approached CJ's office was that of the Press Secretary precariously balanced in tan Armani slacks and nylon stockinged feet on the narrow arm of the maize damask sofa. Kate looked up to see CJ's long arm extended and her hand over the door's threshold, the cuff of her cobalt blouse straining at the button as she reached forward. "CJ?" Kate called delicately, trying not to startle.  
  
CJ wobbled unsteadily at the sound of her name, but she righted herself quickly. She brightened when she recognized Kate's features in the shadowed hall and bounded off the sofa onto the floor, landing with the flourish of an Olympic gymnast. "Kate Harper! Just the woman to help me."  
  
"With what?" she asked, amused.  
  
"With this!" CJ thrust her left hand forward triumphantly.  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"It's my lucky horseshoe!"  
  
"Your lucky horseshoe?"  
  
"It's from that horse that everyone's been talking about. The one that came out of nowhere and won the Derby. Smarty Pants."  
  
"Smarty Jones."  
  
"Whatever. This is my lucky horseshoe, and when I put it over my door, my office will be a bastion of luck."  
  
"Are you sure it's a such good idea to have a steel object hanging right over—"  
  
"Are you going to help me out or not, Harper?" CJ interrupted, impatient.  
  
Kate smiled at the opportunity presented her and folded her arms across her chest, head slightly cocked in contemplation. "Well," she drawled, "I guess that all depends."  
  
"On what?"  
  
"On what it's worth to ya."  
  
CJ arched an eyebrow, intrigued by the challenge, and stepped forward. Even without shoes, CJ bested her by a good four inches, and she delighted in using her height as intimidation. She mirrored Kate's negotiating stance and positioned herself close enough to nudge her with her elbows, and straightened her neck so that she was standing at full height. "Is that so?"  
  
Undaunted, Kate continued. "This is a lucky horseshoe, after all. Its influence could be life-changing. Just imagine the possibilities."  
  
"Oh, I have, I assure you." CJ's green eyes sparkled, a smile playing on her lips.  
  
"Well then?"  
  
"How about drinks?"  
  
Kate shook her head reproachfully. "I'm sorry, CJ, but, after the day I've had, you're going to have to do better than drinks to get me to stick around here just for you."  
  
"Oh, I don't know about that," CJ teased, gently, and she saw Kate's assurance flicker. "But I will give you credit for effort. Drinks and dinner, tomorrow night. There's a Mexican place at 7th and D that serves a spectacularly complex mole sauce."  
  
"And the margaritas?"  
  
"Made with 100% agave tequila, mi amiga."  
  
"Alright, then, you've got a deal." Kate smiled, still a little unnerved at having been called out on her crush, but pleased at her prize. "What do you need me to do?"  
  
CJ crossed the room and started dragging her swivel desk chair toward the door. "Well," she explained, navigating around the furniture, "I was trying to reach above the door jamb from the sofa, but I'm afraid it's too far, even for someone with limbs as elegantly long as my own." She batted her eyes. "So I'm going to stand on this chair here, and you're going to hold it steady while I do."  
  
"And then what? Do you have a hammer and nails, or something?"  
  
"There's already a nail in the wall up there."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Mistletoe. But that's for another day." CJ made the point with a mischievous grin. She closed the heavy, wooden door, positioned the chair in front of it, and patted the chair's seatback. "Right here, Commander."  
  
Kate dutifully assumed her post, her back to the sofa where CJ had been standing and her hands on either side of the chair to keep it in place. Climbing onto the seat of the chair, CJ looked up, mentally plotted her course, and, finally, made her move. She leaned forward on tiptoe and, holding her breath, set the horseshoe on the nail. The horseshoe swayed slightly but settled into balance. Her eyes focused and the fingers on both hands splayed like a magician's, CJ straightened up carefully, trying not to break the spell, and slowly exhaled.  
  
The apparent equilibrium didn't last long. As soon as CJ was upright, the horseshoe started to rotate counterclockwise, and CJ's eyes widened in alarm. She lunged her right hand forward instinctively to catch it, skewing her long frame to the left and causing the casters on the chair beneath her to careen in the opposite direction, toward the wall. The horseshoe dropped to the floor with a thud, and CJ, with a yelp, toppled directly onto Kate, both of them crashing to the sofa below.  
  
They lay there for a full minute with neither saying a word, CJ too busy anticipating an inevitably sardonic comment and Kate too overwhelmed by her acute awareness of CJ's legs and hips and breasts to think of one. Fearful of betraying herself again, all Kate could manage was a long sigh. "CJ?" she ventured tentatively.  
  
"Yeah." CJ's voice was muffled, her face buried in the seat cushion just past Kate's left shoulder. She still didn't move, and her thoughts shifted from the contemplation of snappy comebacks to the increasingly distracting points of Kate's breasts against her ribcage and the light, citrus scent of Kate's perfume.  
  
"You all right?" Kate asked.  
  
"Yeah." The warmth of Kate's exhalation past her ear caused CJ's nipples to harden as confusion gave way to arousal, and she thought she heard Kate's breath catch. CJ let a long moment pass before she lifted her head, her cheek barely brushing against Kate's, their lips adjacent but not touching. Hovering, breath suspended, she looked to Kate for her cue.  
  
"CJ." Kate's voice was lower, huskier, and CJ needed no further encouragement. Angling her head gently, she leaned into the awaiting mouth with her own, first lightly, then more urgently. Kate moaned as she felt CJ's lips open, her tongue moist and probing and quick, her mouth tasting faintly of coffee and chocolate. And then Kate's fingers were in CJ's hair, and CJ's mouth was on her collarbone, and Kate shifted to allow CJ's demanding thigh access to the growing warmth between her legs. CJ pressed in, hard, and Kate ground her hips forward to meet her, back arched, an invitation.  
  
CJ accepted eagerly, trailing her tongue from the hollow of Kate's throat down her sternum, nuzzling with her chin, before drawing her head back to gaze at the waiting, willing woman beneath her. "God, you're beautiful," she whispered, her left hand against the curve of Kate's breast, thumb tracing the outline of the puckered flesh beneath the thin fabric of Kate's camisole.  
  
Flushing at the compliment, Kate reached to return an errant shock of CJ's hair to its place behind her ear. Kate's breathing was uneven and her head was swimming, and her eyes were focused on CJ's full lower lip, wanting more. She craned her neck forward to claim CJ's mouth again, hungrily, and her hands gently tugged CJ's shirttail free from her waistband, her short, manicured nails drawing lightly across CJ's lower back.  
  
The coolness of the office air on her exposed, dampening skin brought CJ to attention, reminding her of her surroundings and how ridiculously, unbelievably wrong it would be if anyone were to see them like this in this place. "Hold on—" she murmured into Kate's lips, retreating.  
  
"What is it? What's wrong?" Bewilderment clouded Kate's eyes.  
  
"Nothing's wrong." CJ smiled to quell Kate's concern before it developed into full, mortifying regret, the backs of her fingers lightly stroking her cheek. "It's just— Not here. We shouldn't be doing this here."  
  
Kate knew that CJ was right, of course, and couldn't help but groan in reluctant concession. With a chuckle, CJ kissed Kate's temple before disentangling herself and coming to her feet. Kate rose, too, with CJ holding her hands to help pull her up. She was still holding Kate's hands, their fingers now interlaced, when they kissed again, smiles dawning on their faces. "So," CJ offered, "do you...want to, um..."  
  
"Okay." She smirked at the awkwardness of CJ's delivery.  
  
"Okay." With that point settled, CJ nodded. "So, should we, uh... I mean, do you ..."  
  
"CJ, is this your way of asking 'your place or mine'?"  
  
"No. No, it is not. That would be cliché. I am the White House Press Secretary, and I am above such clichés." Clearing her throat, she added, "Except that, yes, we should figure out whether we're going to your place or mine."  
  
"My bed currently consists of an air mattress on a hardwood floor."  
  
"My bed consists of a Stearns & Foster California King with 600-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets."  
  
"You win. Let's go."  
  
CJ tucked her shirt back into her waistband quickly and found her shoes under the desk. She grabbed her purse and coat from the wing chair, and paused at the door, looking around. "You know, I do have to say that I'm a little disappointed."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"We could've given new meaning to the idea of my lucky office."  
  
"Hey, I'm not the one who called a halt to these proceedings. I'm happy to take my chances."  
  
CJ blinked and smiled. "Nah, let's get out of here. I want you naked in 20 minutes." With that, she turned out the light, and they walked out, through the darkened office, and into the chill air of the still city. They were still holding hands.


End file.
